I don't have the data but I'll wager that at any time about 15% of all the escalators in the world are broken. Man they seem to be unreliable things! I like the ones in Canada. They run slow until you just about step on them. Then they speed up to normal speed. After a while they slow down again. Nice energy saver there.

 

As the stairs turn the 180 degrees at the top and the bottom they are turning on a much smaller roller or gear than the hand rails. In order for the hand rails to keep up exactly as the turns come at the top and bottom of their travel, they would have to move much, much faster than the stair treads, then, as they treads and the handrails start their trip up (or down), the handrails would be traveling much faster than the treads. What you are experiencing is a compromise. No, you are not imagining it, the handrails are actually moving slower than the treads. Welcome to the world of aviation. Many things to observe about this job besides flying!

 

It's a conspiracy, I tell ya!


Since the steps and the handrails move at a different rate, it is impossible to continuously hold the handrail during the short trip. (It's more noticeable on the moving sidewalks.)


Lawyers require the discrepancy that will require you to let go of the handrail. Since you're supposed to hold on to the handrail, and since you won't, it will be your fault when you have an escalator/moving sidewalk accident. The manufacturer cannot be held laible when you blatantly disregard the safety rules and let go of the handrail.








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Hey Tony, those moving sidewalks can get ya in trouble! I try not to use them, not only because I want the exercise after sitting on a plane, but because they take my focus away from other things that I want to be checking out. Like the moving sidewalks in the United terminal at SFO. SFO always has some sort of interesting museum type display to check out while you're on the moving sidewalk. One time I had my carry on bag on the moving sidewalk in front of me, and while I was checking out the sights, the moving sidewalk came to an end, my bag stopped in front of me, and I tripped over it. It had nothing to do though with the good looking pilots who had just gone by on the moving sidewalk in the opposite direction. I was taking a second look at the Cannery Row exhibit. Those moving sidewalks will make a dork out of ya every time!

 

I miss Bill Nye The Science Guy!